Should You Watch the “Mary” Movie on Netflix?
By Family Minister, Dr. Brandon Steenbock
Do you know the true story of Mary, the mother of Jesus? If you watch the new movie “Mary” on Netflix, the first line will tell you that you do not. According to this film, the biblical story is not the whole story. But presumably, a Netflix film is.
I am not going to tell you whether to watch “Mary” on Netflix or not. That’s a choice you can make. But I watched it, and I’ll give you a summary of what I saw so that you know what to look for if you choose to watch it.
There is a lot in this movie that is not in the Bible. A LOT. And some things in the Bible that are not in this movie. And some things are like what’s in the Bible, but they’re different in the film. It’s weird. Here’s the point: If you say, “I don’t remember that from the Bible story…” You’re probably right.
The story follows Mary and her family, from her miraculous birth (in this movie, her parents are childless, and an angel tells them they will have a baby) to her years of serving God in the Temple after her parents dedicate her to service (yes, sort of a Samuel type story arc), to her pregnancy and the birth of Jesus, to their flight from Herod’s soldiers and her coming to the Temple with the baby Jesus.
I’m not covering the story beat-for-beat, but I’ll mention two things I liked about it and three things I didn’t like.
Things I liked:
- Mary came across as very human. She was afraid. Terrified even. She was confused and uncertain. She was tender. She was willing to follow God’s plan. She cried with her mom. All this felt authentic to what I believe the real Mary was like.
- Her family was by her side through it all. We are given this pious fiction in our Christmas stories that somehow, Mary and Joseph went through the whole thing alone. That’s highly unlikely. While a girl getting pregnant out of wedlock was shameful, her family abandoning her, especially once Joseph “legitimized” her by continuing with the marriage, would have been even more shameful. So it was refreshing to see a version of this story where the family is there every step of the way.
Things I didn’t like:
- Worship of Mary. It’s very Catholic to hold Mary up as a “Co-Redemptor” with Jesus. Her participation in the plan of salvation (she was willing to bear the Son of God), her cooperation with Jesus in his work of redemption (she “allowed” her son to suffer and die), and her intercession for believers (Catholics believe Mary carries our prayers to Jesus), give her a special kind of holiness and importance to the faith. In the film, Mary is called special, chosen, powerful. However, it goes even further by taking elements of the biblical story that happened to Jesus and having them happen to Mary.
- Joseph’s Role. In the biblical story, Joseph is an honorable man who, when he learns of Mary’s pregnancy, plans to divorce her quietly. Had he made it a public affair, she would have been publicly shamed and possibly even stoned to death (which the “zealots” try to do in the movie – something that DID NOT happen in the Bible BECAUSE Joseph kept it quiet). However, after being visited by an angel, Joseph takes Mary as his wife. He takes on the role of father to the Son of God. He gives him the name Jesus. Joseph accepted his call from God and did as God asked. In the film, Joseph is a nice guy with no clue what’s happening. Because he loves Mary, he resolves to stick with her and love the child as his own no matter what. It’s kind, but misses how God called Joseph into this big mission. It waters the story down and makes Joseph’s motivation far less Strong Godly Man and more Nice Adoring Husband.
- So Much Humanism. There’s spiritual language. Characters mention God. Gabriel shows up often to direct events. But the people are always pointed inward. “You are powerful,” Mary is told. “Trust the strength inside of you,” Elizabeth says to Mary. “Love will save the world,” Mary narrates at the end, with a closeup of… Mary. It all feels like the point is not that God is working salvation through his Son, but instead that God is sort of vaguely saving the world (the film never says from what) through the power and love of humans he has chosen. It is religious humanism.
As a bonus side note, I’ll mention two other interesting things:
- While this film is pitched as “TV-14” and listed as “Family,” “Inspirational,” and “Religious,” on Netflix, there are some moments of extreme violence and some rather uncomfortable scenes. Parents, be cautious.
- King Herod (played by the great Anthony Hopkins) comes across as brutal and psychotic, which is fitting. And I think it’s important to understand the contrast between our dark world and Jesus, the Light for all mankind.
The most important thing to understand about “Mary” is that it is not a dramatic retelling of the biblical story. It is fiction, a loosely made-up story based on the characters and storyline in Matthew and Luke’s Gospels. More importantly, it is not the story of how our Savior came into the world to bring us peace with God. It is a humanized myth and has the potential to mislead the unaware.
Here’s what you could do with it, though:
- Use it as an inspiration to become more familiar with the true biblical story. You may see a movie like this and wonder, “How much of this is true? What’s good and bad? What’s right and wrong?” The best way to answer those questions is to know the true story inside and out. To be so thoroughly steeped in God’s Word that you can accurately critique a movie like this.
- Use it as a springboard for conversation with family and friends. Maybe someone you know – a coworker, a cousin, a sibling, whatever – has watched it and asked what you think. Talk about what was true and what wasn’t. Talk about where it goes wrong. And talk about the true story of Jesus’ birth and the salvation he brings.
“Mary” is not a very good representation of the biblical story. Once again, I don’t recommend that you watch it. But if you do, be aware you’re not getting the real story. If you want to know the true story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, it’s all there for you in the Bible.
If you’d like more insights on this film, check out these two helpful YouTube takes:
Mike Winger, the Bible Thinker reviews “Mary”
Melissa Dougherty reviews “Mary”
*blog image credit: Netflix